Revisiting Play Elements and Self-Handicapping in Play: A Comparative Ethogram of Five Old World Monkey Species
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2009 |
Authors: |
Milada Petrů, Marek Špinka, Veronika Charvátová, Stanislav Lhota |
Publication/Journal: |
Journal of Comparative Psychology |
Keywords: |
guenons, langurs, play-behavior, primates, signaling |
ISBN: |
0735-7036 |
Abstract:
Play behavior has been viewed as a mixture of elements drawn from “serious” behavior, interspersed by ritualized play signals. Two other types of play behaviors have been overlooked: patterns that are dissimilar from any serious behavior and patterns with self-handicapping character, that is, those that put the animal into unnecessary disadvantageous positions or situations. Here the authors show that these 2 types of patterns can constitute a major part of play repertoire. From our own videorecordings and observations, we constructed play ethograms of 5 monkey species (Semnopithecus entellus, Erythrocebus patas, Chlorocebus pygerythrus, Cercopithecus neglectus, and Cercopithecus diana). The authors evaluated the self-handicapping character of each pattern and in Hanuman langurs also the (dis)similarity to serious behavior. Of the 74 patterns in the 5 species, 33 (45%) were judged to have a self-handicapping character. Of 48 patterns observed in langurs, 16 (33%) were totally dissimilar to any serious langur behavior known to us. The authors discuss the possibility that the different types of play elements may have different functions in play.